House of Hearts by Skyla Arndt

 

A haunted school with a heart-stealing ghost? Sign me up.

I loved the vibes of this book, with its dark history and detailed horrors. The author did a great job crafting vivid scenes and bringing the gruesome elements to life. I really liked the main character, Violet, because she was stubborn and brave in her search for revenge. Her character was very straightforward from the start, which I appreciated.

Also, this cover is absolutely gorgeous and I love it so much.

I'm giving this 3.75 stars instead of 4 because I wish the other characters had been more fleshed out. They all felt two-dimensional, and I wasn’t really able to get to know them—especially Calvin. His personality seemed to change so often that I couldn’t get a read on him. I wish he had been more fully developed and distinct from the other characters.

The romance between Violet and Calvin also felt lacking. I wish there had been more indicators throughout the book to show a developing connection between them, or at least more progression. Additionally, the academy setting felt underutilized. We only got two or three scenes of regular school life, so it never truly felt like an academic setting. The focus was heavily on the haunted locations, which made the balance feel off.

But other than that, I thought the story was very spooky, full of twists and turns, grief, love, and mystery.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.